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You Are Home

An Ode to the National Parks

Illustrated by Evan Turk

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About The Book

Award-winning author and illustrator Evan Turk showcases the beauty and importance of the National Parks in this gorgeous picture book that takes readers on an amazing tour across the United States.

Beneath the soaring doorways of stone,
and peaks that pierce the ceiling of clouds,
from every river, star, and stone
comes the eternal refrain:
you are home.


In simple, soaring language and breathtaking art, acclaimed author-illustrator Evan Turk has created a stirring ode to nature and nation. From the rugged coast of Maine to the fiery volcanoes of Hawaii, You Are Home reminds us that every animal, plant, and person helps make this land a brilliant, beautiful sanctuary of life.

About The Author

Photo by Tate Tullier
Evan Turk

Evan Turk is an Ezra Jack Keats Award–winning illustrator, author, and animator. He is the author-illustrator of The Storyteller, Heartbeat, You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks, A Thousand Glass Flowers, and Hello, Moon and the illustrator of Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book; The People’s Painter; Grandfather Gandhi; and its companion Be the Change. Originally from Colorado, Evan now lives in southern California with his husband and two cats. He is a graduate of Parsons School of Design. Visit him at EvanTurk.com.

About The Illustrator

Photo by Tate Tullier
Evan Turk

Evan Turk is an Ezra Jack Keats Award–winning illustrator, author, and animator. He is the author-illustrator of The Storyteller, Heartbeat, You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks, A Thousand Glass Flowers, and Hello, Moon and the illustrator of Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book; The People’s Painter; Grandfather Gandhi; and its companion Be the Change. Originally from Colorado, Evan now lives in southern California with his husband and two cats. He is a graduate of Parsons School of Design. Visit him at EvanTurk.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (June 4, 2019)
  • Length: 56 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781534432826
  • Ages: 4 - 8
  • Lexile ® NP The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

Raves and Reviews

* “This love letter to America’s national treasures is an important, informative invitation to experience and explore.”

– Booklist, starred review

* “Splendid landscapes by Turk celebrate America’s national parks. . . . In consistently powerful spreads, the artist highlights the play of sun and shadow over mountains and canyons with fiery oranges, deep rusts and cobalts, and velvety black. There are 58 U.S. national parks, and 22 appear here, from Yosemite and Yellowstone to Biscayne Bay. It’s hard to imagine a more fitting testament to their grandeur.”

– Publishers Weekly, starred review

* “Much like the parks they celebrate, each majestic spread in this book holds wonders for the eye to explore. . . . Perusing this book induces a longing to go outside and travel but also to create art of one's own. Masterful.”

– Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “Expansive . . . Turk’s magnificent, lush illustrations, with deft use of light and shadow, depict not only grandiose mountains and vistas (Yosemite appears in a stunning double-gatefold spread) but also the creatures therein (a bobcat in Yosemite, fireflies in the Smokies) and the families who visit. . . . It all adds up to an informative and breathtaking exploration of U.S. national parks.”

– Bookpage, starred review

"This lyrical tribute demands art to match, and Ezra Jack Keats Book Award winner Evan Turk rises to the challenge. . . . A gallant rebuke to the expression 'You had to be there.'"

– Shelf Awareness, starred review

“Turk captures the very idea of our national parks. With bold, freewheeling painting and equally bold, concise poetry, plus informational pages, he has made a book as majestic and inclusive as its subject.”

– The New York Times Book Review

Awards and Honors

  • Kansas NEA Reading Circle List PrimaryTitle
  • CBC/NCSS Notable Children's Book in Social Studies
  • Capital Choices Noteworthy Books for Children's and Teens (DC)
  • Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee (KS)
  • NCTE Notable Poetry List
  • Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Reading List (PA)
  • Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Title

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Evan Turk